This invention generally relates to aluminum framing components and systems including such components for use in the construction of pool, patio and glass enclosures and the like.
A variety of different sizes and shapes of aluminum framing components are commonly used in the construction of pool, patio and glass enclosures. Historically 2xc3x972 hollow aluminum extrusions (which typically have outside dimensions of 1.98 inchesxc3x971.98 inches) have had the widest applications in these installations, being used in screen enclosures for pools as purlins, chair rails and top rails, and as uprights at corners and around doorways, and being used in screen and glass rooms or patio enclosures as top rails, beams, chair rails and uprights and the like. Of course, standard industry tolerances apply to all extrusion dimensions set forth in this application.
The industry standard 2xc3x972 hollow aluminum extrusions currently in use have four internal screw bosses, two on each side wall, intended to receive fasteners for anchoring the extrusions to other framing components. A drawback to this design is that sometimes the contractor installs less than four fasteners, which can have an adverse effect on the structural load capacity and thus the span capability of the extrusion. A minimum of three tightly secured fasteners is required to prevent the extrusions from rocking under load.
Another drawback to the industry standard 2xc3x972 hollow aluminum extrusions is that the fasteners either have a tendency to strip out of the screw bosses, or a twist condition occurs when the fasteners are run into the screw bosses, resulting in noticeable lines in the side walls of the extrusions behind the screw bosses which are unacceptable from an aesthetics standpoint in that the lines make it appear as if the fasteners are breaking out of the extrusion walls.
Another aluminum framing component that is widely used in screened patio and pool enclosures to hold the screens in at the top and bottom edges and at the corners of the enclosures is a 1xc3x972 open back aluminum extrusion (commonly referred to as a solid aluminum extrusion), which typically has outside dimensions of 0.990 inchxc3x971.98 inches. The industry standard 1xc3x972 open back solid aluminum extrusions include two internal screw bosses that are sometimes used to anchor the extrusions to other framing components. However, the screw bosses in the open back extrusions can be a hindrance especially when attaching the ends of hollow aluminum extrusions to the face of the open back extrusions by running fasteners through the face into the screw bosses in the hollow aluminum extrusions in that the screw bosses in the open back extrusions prevent the fasteners from being flush mounted up against the inside surface of the face of the open back extrusions, thus necessitating the use of longer fasteners.
The present invention relates to certain improvements in the design and construction of the aforementioned aluminum framing components for use in the construction of pool, patio and glass enclosures and systems including such framing components.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, one of the framing components comprises a hollow aluminum extrusion having a total of three screw bosses instead of the usual four, which not only reduces the cost of the extrusions, but also the cost of the labor and material in installing the extrusions in that only three fasteners have to be installed instead of the usual four.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, two of the screw bosses oppose each other on the side walls of the hollow aluminum extrusion above the center of gravity of the extrusion, whereas the third screw boss is strategically located in close proximity to the bottom center of the extrusion below the center of gravity of the extrusion to optimize the structural capacity of the extrusion for a given shape and nominal wall thickness, resulting in an improved rigid moment connection with other framing components using a minimal number of fasteners.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the nominal wall thickness of the three screw bosses and extrusion walls directly behind the screw bosses are made thicker than the nominal wall thickness of the hollow aluminum extrusion to give the extrusion a greater moment of inertia and section modulus than the standard four screw boss hollow aluminum extrusion with equivalent nominal wall thickness and thus a greater span capability.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the increased nominal wall thickness of the screw bosses and walls of the hollow aluminum extrusion directly behind the screw bosses allow the nominal wall thickness and thus the cost of the hollow aluminum extrusion to be reduced without adversely affecting the structural integrity of the extrusion profile.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the screw bosses in the hollow aluminum extrusion are sized and shaped to prevent a twist condition from occurring and also prevent the fasteners from stripping out of the screw bosses when the fasteners are run into the screw bosses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the nominal wall thickness of the screw bosses and extrusion walls directly behind the screw bosses are made thicker than the nominal wall thickness of the hollow aluminum extrusion to provide greater structural integrity to the screw bosses and virtually eliminate any appearance that the fasteners may be breaking out of the walls of the extrusion, thus enhancing the surface condition and overall aesthetics of the extrusion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a U-shaped internal clip may be fitted between the screw bosses of a hollow aluminum extrusion to permit field attachment of the hollow aluminum extrusion to an upright such as a hollow post for use as a chair rail or the like.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the U-shaped internal clip may be fitted between the screw bosses of the hollow aluminum extrusion to prevent the hollow aluminum extrusion from twisting or rocking during installation of the hollow aluminum extrusion to an upright such as an other hollow framing component.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, another framing component comprises an open back aluminum extrusion having a face with flat, uninterrupted inner and outer surfaces to facilitate the flush mounting of fasteners against the inner surface of the face and the running of the fasteners through the face in alignment with screw bosses in other framing components.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the open back aluminum extrusion of the present invention may be secured to the three screw boss hollow aluminum extrusion of the present invention or to other hollow aluminum extrusions as a system with an end of the hollow aluminum extrusion engaging the outer surface of the face of the open back extrusion, and fasteners flush mounted against the inner surface of the face and running through the face into the screw bosses in the hollow aluminum extrusion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the bottom wall screw boss in the hollow aluminum extrusion of the present invention is spaced from the bottom wall by an integral stem to provide clearance for the head and washer of the fastener that runs through the face of the open back aluminum extrusion into the bottom wall screw boss of the hollow aluminum extrusion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the side walls of the open back aluminum extrusion of the present invention that extend outwardly from the face have relatively short mounting legs on the outer ends thereof so as not to interfere with the insertion of one of the fasteners through the face into the bottom wall screw boss in the hollow aluminum extrusion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a pair of laterally spaced legs are integrally formed on the inner surface of the face of another form of open back aluminum extrusion in accordance with the present invention to permit relatively short lengths of screw boss adapters to be attached to such inner surface to allow fasteners to be used with the open back aluminum extrusion in internal horizontal fastening applications and when panel sections including such open back aluminum extrusions are prefabricated at the factory rather than assembled at the job site.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the internal legs extend the full length of the open back aluminum extrusion in closely spaced relation on opposite sides of the axial center of the open back aluminum extrusion to provide added rigidity in the area of the profile of the open back aluminum extrusion that is subject to a cave-in effect caused by the fasteners being torqued with an automatic screw gun.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the internal legs of the open back aluminum extrusion have sufficient spacing therebetween for accepting suitable fasteners therebetween.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the screw boss adapters, when attached to the inner surface of the face of the open back aluminum extrusion, provide increased wall thickness at the attachment points thus adding shear protection during tightening of fasteners into the screw boss adapters, lessening cave-in effect, and providing reinforcement to the upright connections of the enclosure.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the open back aluminum extrusion with internal legs of the present invention can be used without the screw boss adapters at a lower material cost compared to the industry standard open back aluminum extrusions with screw bosses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the open back aluminum extrusion with internal legs of the present invention eliminates the need for a contractor having to stock both the industry standard open back aluminum extrusion with screw bosses and the open back aluminum extrusion of the present invention with uninterrupted inner face surface which does not have the ability to accept screw boss adapters.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the two legs on the inner face of the open back aluminum extrusion of the present invention are in closely spaced relation to each other (with enough spacing therebetween for accepting a fastener therebetween) to provide sufficient room between the legs and adjacent sides of the open back aluminum extrusion for locating fasteners used to secure the open back aluminum extrusion to an other framing component away from the center of the face of the open back aluminum extrusion to prevent slippage of the inturned ends of the open back aluminum extrusion around the adjacent edges of the other framing component.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but several of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.